


Maybe I Will Talk To You (the only way I know how to)

by undeadsnorlax



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Good Sibling Luther Hargreeves, Hugs, Late Night Conversations, Post-Series, Therapy talk, awkward himbos talk about feelings, bro hugs tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26083768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undeadsnorlax/pseuds/undeadsnorlax
Summary: “If you want, you can just...hang here until you’re tired. We don’t have to talk...”Luther clicked his tongue, thumbing a page slowly. “Unless you want to.”“Clearly you want to,” Diego said with a hint of a growl.---Diego can't sleep, and finds Luther in a similar state. So they talk, in their own way.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves
Comments: 15
Kudos: 91





	Maybe I Will Talk To You (the only way I know how to)

**Author's Note:**

> set in a nebulous time after season 2, though there isn't much mention of it beyond...it happened?
> 
> Team Zero was all I could have wanted out of my two faves starting to get along
> 
> title is from [Monster by dodie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bjD1tarzr4) (which I have on my Luther playlist and the bridge is something I can see as a conversation between these two)

Diego stared at his ceiling, rolled onto his side, then the other, even onto his stomach with his face buried into the pillow but nothing.

He couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t exactly rare, he had slept fitfully his whole life, but tonight’s sleeplessness was paired with a restless energy, the kind that forced you to pace your room.

That’s what he did at first, pacing up and down the length of his room with his arms folded tight, humming angrily.

He slumped back on his bed, scrunched up his eyes but still, nothing.

With a heavy defeated sigh, he pulled on a shirt and some sweatpants, carefully slipping out into the hallway. Perhaps a longer walk around the house would wear him out.

He glanced at the other rooms nearby, ears pricked to any movement as he crept along. The last thing he needed was everyone waking up and this turning into a _thing_ , as most minor events did with this family.

Luckily his days of vigilantism led to being light on his feet when needed, and his siblings seemed to prove heavy sleepers, so he quietly made his way down the stairs into the entrance hallway.

Trying to make his decision of where to turn next, he stopped at the door to the living room. Some light bled from the crack under it.

Curiously, he nudged the door open, poking his head around.

Luther looked up from where he was sprawled out on the largest couch, a book in his hands and a plate balanced on his chest.

“Diego? What are you doing up?”

“Could ask you the same thing big guy...”

Diego stepped inside, folding his arms in a way to hold himself more than anything else. Luther frowned, setting his book and the plate down on the coffee table and sitting up more.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he muttered, gesturing at a mug sat next to a thermos and then at the plate of what Diego could now see were cookies, as his brother stuffed two in his mouth, “It’s all I know what to do. Have a snack and read until I’m sleepy...that was about two hours ago now.”

“Better than any idea I was having.”

Luther shifted again, leaving some space on the couch, and patting the cushion. “You...wanna talk?”  
Diego raised a brow and Luther sighed.

“You want something to drink at least?”

He lifted the thermos with a slight shrug. “It might relax you a little. Warm milk with vanilla in it.”

“...like Mom would make.”

Diego smiled, sitting down on the couch and letting Luther shakily pour him some in the mug.  
He raised it in an appreciative _‘cheers’_ motion, before taking a sip and closing his eyes. He felt the milk travel down his throat, settling in his stomach with a pleasant feeling. He was seven years old again, clinging to Grace’s skirt as she stroked over his head, soothing him from a nightmare of drowning.

“Better?” Luther asked, putting a tentative hand on Diego’s back, bringing him back to reality.

“No,” he replied bluntly, then added in a softer voice, “But it’s nice. Thanks.”

Luther smiled, his hand tensing a little as he gave Diego a pat, before reaching for his book again.  
“If you want, you can just...hang here until you’re tired. We don’t have to talk...”

He clicked his tongue, thumbing a page slowly. “Unless you want to.”

“Clearly _you_ want to,” Diego said with a hint of a growl, sipping his drink again, “And I know what you wanna talk about. I told you all already, I’m not going.”

Luther pursed his lips, letting out a short hum. “I didn’t wanna go at first either.”

“It’s not that I don’t _want_ to go, I just don’t _need_ to go.”

Diego looked away quickly before Luther could give him a condescending stare.

“Look, back before...in that hospital...I did therapy, and I hated it.”

“That was the sixties Diego. They’ve come a long way since then.”

Luther put his book down again, now offering out one of his arms. Diego narrowed his eyes but still shimmied up to his brother’s side, even relaxing enough to rest his head a little.  
Luther grinned rather smugly, proud this idea had worked, and wrapped Diego up, pulling him in closer.

“I was scared the first time I went,” Luther said quietly, “More scared than I’ve ever been because I knew I’d have to talk about everything. My accident. The moon. All the things I did to hurt myself.”  
He gave a side-long glance at Diego, hoping to catch anything. Diego just raised the mug to his mouth once more, nodding to note that he was listening, so Luther continued.

“But the first session, Simon - the counsellor - he made me sit on the floor and he gave me this big box of plastic animals.”

Diego scoffed at this.

“Yeah, I know. It felt dumb. He told me to choose one to represent everyone in the family and like...act out stuff from when we were kids.”

“What was I?” Diego asked, a hint of genuine interest in his voice.

“Uh...” Luther scratched the side of his head, shrugging slightly. “Okay, so...one time I saw this picture of a crab holding a knife...we weren’t talking at the time, but I thought ‘ _hey Diego would find this funny’_ …and ever since…crab.”

Diego stared blankly ahead for a few moments, thinking it over, before letting out a stifled giggle.  
“Okay, that’s pretty good,” he said, “Guess it’s obvious what you chose for yourself though.”

“Duh.” Luther sat back a bit, sinking against the cushions. “Simon asked why I chose every animal for everyone, in case it was something subconscious and not random.”

His fingers ran up his arm, through the thick hair and over long healed scars. He only wore short sleeves around the house, still sticking to longer when he went outside.

“But he didn’t ask when I chose that lil’ gorilla. Not until after.”

“...did it help?” Diego asked, setting the mug down before placing a hand on Luther’s thigh.

“Yeah. Like I said, it was dumb but acting though some things it...it helped explain some of the stuff a lot better than I could have just talking.”

Luther gave him a quick look, head tilted. “Am I convincing you yet?”

Diego groaned, slumping back himself, running his hands down his face.  
“Fine. I’m scared, okay? All this...healing shit, it’s a lot when I’ve been so...so...”

Unable to find the right words, he just flailed his hands about instead, scowling as he did so. “So **_me_** , I guess. You get me?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Luther gave him a small punch on the shoulder, holding up the plate of cookies. Diego smiled and took one, nibbling the edges thoughtfully.

“I know I need to talk to someone professional,” he mumbled, lowering his gaze, “I mean, fuck, even Five’s stubborn ass goes, and he’s got way harder shit to explain with the whole _‘actually I’m fifty-nine in a fourteen year old’s body’_ thing going on.”

He sighed, distractedly twirling the cookie around his fingers, before taking a proper bite. “You know better than anyone I don’t wanna admit how much of a shithead I am.”

“You know we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Luther pulled Diego in close again, giving him an affectionate nuzzle on the top of his head. Diego blushed irritably but, shoving the rest of his cookie in his mouth, angled himself to awkwardly hug Luther back.

“Our kid selves would flip their lid seeing us like this,” he said, appreciating the slight plush give Luther’s torso had. Kind of like a teddy bear.

“I like to think we didn’t fight that much,” Luther said, leaning his head on top of Diego’s heavily.

“Remember the time you broke both my arms?”

“Uh, remember the time you sliced the tips of my fingers off?”

They both hesitated before starting to laugh.

“We were such little shits, huh?” Diego snorted, shaking his head.

“ _You_ were the little one. Still are.”

Diego let out a growl, playful though, jabbing Luther under his ribs. After a loud _‘oof!’_ , Luther retaliated by twisting their hug into a headlock, dragging his knuckles over Diego’s scalp.

“Gah! Mercy!” Diego yelled out, slapping his hands against Luther’s arms until he could wiggle free.

He fell against the back of the couch, rubbing his head but grinning all the same. Luther smiled back but cut it off as he tilted his own head back with a yawn.

“Aw, finally,” he mumbled, smacking his lips.

“Alright for some,” Diego said, before letting out a yawn himself, “Hm, guess our chat wore us both out.”

“Maybe we should chat more often.”

Luther held out his fist, brows raised. Diego nodded, wrapping his hand around it.

“Maybe we should.”

  
***

Allison rolled her neck around her shoulders, brushing her hair out with her fingers as she walked down the stairs. Having checked all her siblings rooms and found them empty, she quickly found most of them, Klaus, Ben and Vanya huddled around the door of the main living room, peering inside with Five leaned up against the closest pillar, mug of coffee already in hand.

“What’s up?” she asked Five, pulling her gown tighter around herself.

Five scoffed, gesturing his head at the other three. “See for yourself.”

“Is your phone on silent?” Vanya asked in a hushed voice, stifling a small giggle.

“Yes, yes! I wouldn’t ruin this moment for the world!” Klaus hissed back, angling his cell phone, “Who dares me to go closer? Get right up in there?”

Noticing Allison was amongst them now, they ushered her over, fingers pressed to their lips. She peered her head over Klaus’ shoulder and covered her own laugh.

On the largest couch, Luther was flat out on his back, angled in such a way that his feet dangled off the closest arm rest, snoring softly. Meanwhile, Diego was curled up on top of him, head tucked against the crook of his elbow.

“And here we see the mighty gorilla and the vicious jaguar putting aside their differences to rest peacefully in this jungle we call home,” Klaus said in a mock-documentary voice, still keeping his volume down as he snapped a few pictures, “Man, you should’ve seen them earlier Allison. Luther has his arm on Diego’s back, then Diego stretched out like a lil’ kitty cat.”

“It was _super_ adorable,” Ben added, smirking as he poked his head around, “Hard to think what they used to be like.”

“Wonder why they slept down here,” Allison said. She smiled as Luther scrunched up his face, pawing at his nose before letting out another snore.

“Diego doesn’t sleep well, I’ve noticed,” Five said, tilting his head slightly as he walked over to join them, sipping his coffee in that mature way his older brain made him do, “And I’ve heard Luther stomp about more than once in the early hours, usually to the kitchen.”

“And what are _you_ doing awake at that time?” Vanya asked, crossing her arms in mock condescending.

“Yeah, _you_ need to get your sleep old man!” Ben said with a giggle.

Five just rolled his eyes, but they were interrupted by movement from the living room.

Luther groaned loudly, rubbing his neck as he squinted in the early morning light. He gave a puzzled look to Diego still fast asleep on his chest, then looked upwards to see the rest of his family staring back at him.

“Shit!” he muttered, jolting slightly, though not enough to wake Diego, “The hell are you guys doing?”

“Just witnessing some sweet brotherly love,” Klaus said, squishing his cheeks with a tiny squee, “You two look so dang _pwecious_ all snuggled up there!”

Luther flushed red from the teasing, letting out a small huff from his nostrils. “Yeah, well...”  
Carefully, he put a hand on Diego’s back and moved so he could sit on his elbows a little, groaning as he did.

“Never had Diego down as such a sound sleeper,” Allison said, raising a brow as he barely moved beyond a twitched foot.

“We had a late one,” Luther said, glancing at the remnants of his snacking still on the coffee table, “Look, if you wanna get breakfast started, I’ll wake him up. Just...”

He flailed his hands at them. “Shoo! You know what he’ll say if he knows you all saw him like this. Let him start the day in a good mood, huh?”

The others nodded in agreement, though Klaus still snapped a few more pictures as he left. Luther flipped him off, shaking his head as it was finally just the two of them left once more.

With a sigh, he first gave Diego a small shake on the shoulder. Nothing.

“Hrmph.”

Luther glanced at the floor, for a brief moment considering rolling over and flinging his brother off the edge, but that sounded a bit too harsh, especially if he misjudged and landed on top of him. Last thing they needed was a visit to the emergency room because he’d flattened Diego into a pancake.

Instead he flicked hard between Diego’s eyes, which immediately woke him with a start.

“ _Gwuh_ -“

He groaned, rubbing his face and blearily looking around the room, a little on edge until he realised where he was, tension leaving his body as quickly as it had entered.

“You drool in your sleep you know,” Luther said, pointing at the damp patch on his t-shirt.

“ _Hn_...shuddup...you’re one to talk, your morning breath reeks…” Diego slumped his cheek down against him again, huffing slightly. “That was the best sleep I’ve had in forever. You’re way comfier than you should be bro.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, but snapped them open again as Luther jabbed him in the arm. “Ow! Quit it, I was just contemplating!”

“Oh?”

Diego pushed himself to sit up with a slight whine, rubbing sleep from his eyes.  
“About last night...thanks. Gimme the number for the therapy place, and I’ll arrange to speak with someone. Happy?”

Luther beamed, sitting up himself and grabbing Diego in a hug that only crushed his ribs a tiny bit.

“Okay, okay, I get it big guy!”

“Trust me. It’s not so scary, and it’ll help.”

Stretching his arms up with a small yawn, Luther got to his feet. “Now c’mon. The others have already started on breakfast.”

“Right, right...” Diego paused as he stood up, cheeks flushing a little. “Uh. They didn’t see us all snuggly and shit, right?”

Luther glanced away quickly, cheeks sucked in - a tell that he was lying - but still shook his head.

“Nah. Just heard them walking past earlier.”

“Right. Good, good.” Diego sniffed, raising his chin up slightly as he crossed his arms. “Got a certain image to uphold, y’know?”

“You sure do Diego...”

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to check out my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/UndeadSwine). I also recently made a [TUA focused Tumblr](https://starryeyedspaceboy.tumblr.com/) that is mostly just Luther and Diego as they are my faves, but also a dumping ground for doodles and shitposts so...~ta-da~


End file.
